Tapper’s last “This Week” interview: Chris Christie

posted at 5:00 pm on July 25, 2010 by Allahpundit

For your lazy Sunday afternoon viewing pleasure, 10 minutes with the GOP’s new rock star. Most of it’s devoted to his crusade to make Jersey’s budget sustainable but skip ahead to 6:30 for his take on immigration (he reiterates his support for a path to citizenship) and the stimulus (“short-term positive and we’re now feeling the negative”). JT even squeezes in a question about “Jersey Shore,” which Christie jokingly blames on transplanted New Yorkers. A fair point, I guess. There are no homegrown guidos in New Jersey, are there?

Interviewing this guy is a fitting note for Tapper to end on, as he’s always been respected by (most) conservatives for taking their concerns seriously. I might be mistaken but I believe this is the first time Christie’s had a platform on a premier Sunday show since becoming governor; it’s a nice introduction to his perspective for a national audience. Too bad that ABC chose Christiane Amanpour’s name recognition and self-conscious gravitas over Tapper’s less showy professionalism, but he’s made enough of a splash — including a ratings win over “Meet the Press” in the 25-to-54 demographic a few weeks ago — that he’s bound to be considered for a show of his own. Hasn’t NBC been running, er, “The Chris Matthews Show” after MTP for years now? Surely that’s a time slot ripe for the picking ratings-wise.

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This interview made me less of a fan of Christie. He certainly wasn’t speaking as openly as he says he does.
1. Where does he stand on immigration? He says we need secure borders and a clearer path to citizenship. That’s what democrats say. The border isn’t secured, and won’t be secured by those he’d have “consensus” with, and the path to citizenship is just amnesty. Sounds like a democrat.
2. He likes the stimulus to some degree because it helps him in NJ. Just because he’s got some red-state ideas doesn’t negate the fact that he runs a blue state, and is perfectly willing to bleed the red states dry. He seems to say long term it’s not as good – but only because he knows Thatcher’s wisdom that eventually he’ll run out of other people’s money.
3. Shared sacrafice? I know he’s making cuts, and I hope the idea is to use leftists’ words against them, but I’m too used to hearing it from people who want me to sacrafice while they don’t.
4. Consensus? The only reason he’s gotten his legislature in order is because the house is burning down. In the rest of the country that isn’t collapsing, the left is still playing with matches and telling us it’ll be good if we burn the house down. Consensus and compromise? Rly? “I’ll just put in the tip, I promise.”

It was said of and by Ronald Reagan when he was elected President and he really did heal our land.

So much for your cynicism.

Jenfidel on July 27, 2010 at 12:35 AM

If cynicism makes me a realist, sure.
He didn’t “heal our land,” he wasn’t a god or medicine man. He was a great president who did some equally great things (as well as some things I disagree with). I generally avoid deifying these people.

It’s this language (well, coupled with a few other traits) which makes me profoundly uncomfortable. I’m surprised as both a “Christian” and a conservative you wouldn’t have similar reservation given the “heal our land/stem the oceans’ tide” sentiment we just endured in ’08. Unless your only issue with this amalgamation of politics/worship/superstition is…party affiliation.

It’s probably too early to tell, but the winner of the 2012 election will be the candidate who can boldly ask voters the Reagan question, “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?” If the nation says “H3ll No” after four years of Obama, but one state says “H3ll Yes” about their Governor, that Governor could be the next President.

Steve Z on July 26, 2010 at 12:29 PM

Just a News Flash: Only two states have actually increased employment during this recession/depression. North Dakota and … wait for it…. Alaska!